How ICOs are Replacing IPOs: Slideshow

How ICOs are Replacing IPOs: With ever-increasing popularity of digital currencies and a decreasing number of investable U.S. companies, it’s possible that initial coin offerings (ICOs) might overtake initial public offerings (IPOs). Explore the slideshow to learn more about this changing landscape!
The Incredible Shrinking IPO Market: Between 1996 and 2016, the number of investable U.S. companies was cut in half, falling from 7,322 to 3,671. This has ultimately hurt everyday retail investors who not only have fewer stocks to invest in now but also lack access to many of the same potentially profitable opportunities enjoyed by angel investors, venture capitalists and other institutional investors.
Money Flows Where It’s Respected Most: For many, initial coin offerings (ICOs) are a solution. Many startups are opting to raise funds by issuing their own digital currency based on blockchain technology. As of October, ICOs raised over $3 billion in 2017, more than seven times the amount generated in all years prior to 2017 and far surpassing expectations of around $1.7 billion for the year.
“Buy Bitcoin” Overtakes “Buy Gold” as Online Search Phrase: In September 2017, Google searches for “buy bitcoin” surpassed searches for “buy gold.” This indicates cryptocurrencies can no longer be written off as a curiosity.
Major Banks Have Become Bullish on Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin’s market cap has grown past that of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Major financial institutions have become bullish, having filed approximately 2,700 patents in blockchain technology.
Metcalfe’s Law Suggests Crypto Prices Could Keep Rising: Metcalfe’s law states that the bigger the network of users, the greater that network’s value becomes. Robert Metcalfe, distinguished electrical engineer, was speaking specifically about Ethernet, but it also applies to cryptos. Bitcoin might look like a bubble on a simple price chart, but when we place it on a logarithmic scale, we see that a peak has not been reached yet.
Blockchain Venn Diagram: Even Goldman Sachs says the technology behind blockchain could disrupt everything. CoinDesk supports this opinion by highlighting that “28 of the top 30 banks are now engaging in blockchain proof of concepts.”
Who Accepts Bitcoin as Payment? While bitcoin is receiving a lot of press, the general public is still learning where the cryptocurrency can be used in everyday life. You may be surprised to realize just how many businesses now accept bitcoin: Starbucks, Microsoft, Tesla, Square, Dell, Intuit Mint, Subway, Expedia, Overstock, Gyft, Shopify, Bloomberg, Reddit and more! With time, the number of businesses is very likely to grow.
USAA & Fidelity Members Are Tracking Their Bitcoin Wallets Online: USAA and Fidelity allow its members to track their cryptocurrency holdings online. This includes bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. Both of these web portals were made possible through a partnership with Coinbase.
Coinbase: A Digital Currency Wallet: Based in San Francisco, Coinbase is a digital currency wallet. It allows consumers and merchants to perform transactions with bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. Coinbase has served over 13 million customers, is supported in 32 countries and has exchanged over $50 billion in digital currencies.
Somebody Just Bought a House with Bitcoin: Bitcoin isn’t exclusively for small purchases, like food or software. As it gained acceptance, the digital currency found its way into bigger milestone purchases as well. CoinTelegraph reported that, in September of 2017, the first-ever bitcoin-only real estate transaction was completed in Texas.
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